Wear-plate for shoe-heels.



J. H. COOPER.

WEAR PLATE FOR SHOE HEELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, I916.

1,227,392. v Patented May22,1917.

JAMES HENRY ooornn, or WHEELING, wns'r VIRGINIA.

WEAR-PLATE FOR SHOE-HEELS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. Ooornn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in l/Vear-Plates for ShoeHeels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wear plates for shoe heels for preventing the heel from being worn unevenly and thus causing distortion of the shoe and the foot.

The chief characteristic of this invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which is removably embedded within the heel of a shoe, the plate being formed with a plurality of bearing edges, any of which may be exposed to the tread surface of the heel, thus prolonging the life of the plate and eliminating the necessity of frequently replacing the plates.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which con tains the desirable features of simplicity, durability and efliciency, and furthermore a device which may be applied to a heelof any common construction. v

Other objects of the invention will appear as the specification is read in connectio with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a heel showing my device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal central section.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of one of the wear plates.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my invention comprises an elongated piece of wear resisting material such as metal, wood or the like as indicated at A. In this instance I have shown the wear plate A of triangular formation in cross section to provide the longitudinally extending edges, the edges being reasonably sharp to provide an anti-slipping means for the tread surface of the heel when applied thereto. Although I have shown a wear plate of triangular formation in cross section, I wish it tobe clearly understood that a plate having any number of faces to provide the'longitudinal extending edges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

In applying my device to the heel of a shoe, I preferably form the lower lift B of the heel upon its upper face with a transversely extending groove 2, the side walls of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a 22, 1917.

Application filed July 11, 1916. Serial N 0. 108.643.

the groove being inclined toward each other to provide a groove of substantially triangular formation to receive the wear plate A. The groove 2 may be formed within the lower lift before the same is applied to the remaining lifts of the heel and when the lift is applied to the heel, the adjacent lift will close the upper side of the. groove and cooperate with the same to form the triangular groove as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The wear plate A is of a length equal to the transverse width of the heel and when placed within the groove 2 may be readily removed by forcing either end of the plate inwardly thereby causing the opposite end to be projected from the heel as will be understood. The groove is of such a size as to snugly receive the wear plate and at the same time permit the ready removal thereof when desired.

In operation, the wear plate is disposed within the groove 2 so as to present one of its edges adjacent the tread surface of the heel as shown in Fig. 1. The lower lift B of the heel having been worn by repeated use will expose the lower edge of the wear plate to the tread surface. The edge of the wear plate will then be worn gradually owing to its wear resisting qualities, thus preventing the leather in the heel from being quickly worn away. Now assuming that the lower edge of thewear plate is exposed to the tread surface of the heel, and that the wearers foot or ankle is so distorted as to cause the uneven wearing of the heel, it will necessarily cause an uneven wearing of the wear plate, the result being that the shoe will be distorted and the neatness of the shoe destroyed. To rectify this condition so as to again cause the heel to assume an even surface, the wear plate is removed from the groove and turned and replaced so as to dispose a new edge to the tread surface of the heel. The new edge being straight, it will thus be evident that the heel will again assume its even condition thereby preventing the shoe from becoming distorted.

Although I have shown only one of the wear plates mounted within the heel, I wish it to be understood that any number may be used, or the plates may be arranged in any desired angle with relation to the heel as the sisting of a plurality of lifts, of a solid wear member havingan equi-lateral cross section, said wear member movably fitting in a groove formed in the upper surface of the lower lift and having a cross section similar to that of the member, the disposition of the 1 groove lift holding the wear member with one of its sides approximately coincident with the upper surface of the lift and with an apex of such member lying in the lower 10 surface of the lift.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES HENRY COOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

